Loneliness or Aloneness

The Bible speaks of being alone in two different ways. One denotes loneliness and the other refers to living al-one with our Father God (John 16:32). We can experience both at the same time, or one without the other.

God realized that loneliness had an adverse effect on the human soul (Genesis 2:18). He created us for companionship. Have you ever tried to scratch an itch in the middle of your back? We need each other. 

Even in a crowd of people, we can suffer loneliness, because it is a state of mind, rather than a physical issue. It is a aching void deep within our soul.

Loneliness causes us to feel isolated, dejected, abandoned, unimportant, unloved and even hopeless. We want to hide under the covers, ignore our responsibilities and vegetate.

Loneliness affects us mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. We actually believe that no one cares about what happens to us, unless we realize that God continually cares for us (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22).

Aloneness is quite different than loneliness. We all need time to be alone. This helps us to get in touch with our inner self, to ascertain our needs, to get to the root of any negative emotions and to maintain our union with Christ (Colossians 1:27, 3:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 3:14).

In times of solitude, we recharge our psychological, physical and spiritual batteries to have the energy to continue to minister for the Lord as His Spirit directs (Ephesians 2:10).

Times of solitude refresh us and prepare us to hear from God each moment of the day (Psalm 95:7; Hebrews 3:7-8). Al-one times require quiet, private and peaceful surroundings.

We listen with our spiritual ears (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9). The presence of God infiltrates our spirit, soul and body. We are one with God and enjoy His companionable silence (John 10:27-28).

Once we enter God's sanctuary within our spirit, we realize the futility of our temporal existence and begin to pursue eternal endeavors instead (Psalm 73). Al-one times help us to maintain a spiritual focus throughout our life.

Prayer:

Father God, our disheartened soul takes comfort in Your continual presence within. We meditate on Your Word and follow Your precepts each step of our life. Thank You for Your blessings and abundant provision of all of our needs.

We trust that You will continue to perfect us until Christ returns (Philippians 1:6). We have abundant assurance that You will keep all of Your promises to Your Saints (Romans 4:21). Teach us that loneliness is our choice. Remind us to spend al-one times with You, and we will never experience debilitating isolation, but restful solitude instead.

Thought for the Day:

As we traverse the moments of each day and face the issues of life, we function from our spirit, rather than our soul. This enables us to continually meditate on the goodness of God and the Truth of His Word, as we follow His Spirit's direction to accomplish His will.

A Place of Refuge

God does not abandon us at birth and expect us to make our own way in life. He does not want us to work for Him; He prefers to work through us (Galatians 2:20). Even our best self-efforts are merely filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). Once we recognize our need for complete reliance on the Lord, His Spirit engulfs us. We are filled through all of our being with all of God’s fullness (Ephesians 3:19-20). We take specific time-outs during the day to draw away from society and to sit in silence in God’s company.

Many of us maintain a lifestyle of extreme anxiety. We rush through life, losing sleep to meet quotas and cut-off dates, using up every degree of human exertion we can rouse. We pay inflated prices for dessert coffee to wake us up, and then swallow medication to quell the physical illnesses produced by our frantic pace. We depend on our self-effort to handle all of life’s terrors. We mistakenly think the world depends upon us and revolves around us. What we fail to remember is that the cemetery is full of people who thought they were indispensable.

Sometime after our conversion, God brings us to a deeper place of brokenness. Recognizing that we can no longer function through our human potential, we acknowledge our weakness and totally surrender to His Lordship. We enter a new realm of the Spirit, which leads us to God’s power in us and through us. Basking in His presence, we receive His love, peace, wisdom and strength (Isaiah 26:3). We let go of control over our life and relinquish our worries into His capable hands. He is our only lasting refuge and strength, our constant help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

When we sit alone, we are never lonely as long as the Spirit of God resides within our spirit (Psalm 46:10). Connecting to the Spirit of God in times of aloneness gives us the opportunity to walk in His peace and rest throughout the day (Mark 6:31. We receive His healing for our spirit, body and soul – our mind, will and emotions. We enter our quiet place within, experiencing unity with His Spirit. We move through the routine of our daily life led by God’s Spirit.

As we carve deliberate times of solitude from our schedule to be alone (all-one) with the Lord, He readily speaks to us (Revelation 3:20). We suspend our thoughts and praise Him for His faithfulness and glory. Whether we are walking on the sunny beach beside the lulling cadenced of the swishing surf under the call of gulls floating on the breeze, or carpooling the children, or performing household chores, or driving in rush hour traffic, or chained to the overwhelming aspects at work, we remain in His presence, listening to His direction for every moment of our day.

We are dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). God lives within us through Christ and leads us by His Spirit, ready to commune with us whenever we give Him the chance. All it takes is for us to silence the dissonance within and without and to focus all of our attention on His love welling up within us. Then we will walk in balance with His Will and direction for our life. As we remain in the Lord and rest in His goodness, His quietness and confidence invade our spirit and give us strength. (Isaiah 30:15).

Prayer:

Father God, I find my rest in You alone; my salvation comes from You. My soul waits silently for You, because You are the source of all of my joy. Remind me to enter that quiet place within my spirit all throughout the day, no matter what responsibilities claim my time, so that I can focus on You and enjoy fellowship with You every moment of my life. As we abide in You, Your love abides in us (1 John 4:16).  You are our hiding place. You preserve us from trouble and surround us with Your protection and deliverance (Psalm 32:7).

Thought for the Day:
Make it a priority to pursue more of Christ in silent times alone with Him.
- Psalm 42:1